Filing drawer



June 6, 1933v J. ADLER 3 FILING DRAWER Filed Sept. 21, 1931 Wmswroz M3 vention";

Patented June 6, 1933 was -LE3" "a! S Is fi L a I Application filedseptemher at, 1531 *SeiiaTNb. 563,947,

This invention relates generally to filing drawers. 1 More particularly, my invention relates to a certain new and useful improve ment in the followers forvuse in an'din con- 5 nection withsuchdrawers. i a q My invention has for-itsprime object the provision in a filing-drawer of an eflicient, durable, (inexpensive follower fshiftably s'us pended in the drawer for convenient manipulo lationfor paper or document retaining purposes, the drawer" and follower being provided with readily disengageable members cooperable for adj ustably securing the follower shaftably in: the drawer and to generally im- 1 prove theflconstructionof filing-drawers of the shiftable follower type. 3

And with'the above and'otherobjects in View, 1n invention 'residesinthe novel features 0 form, construction, arrangement,

2 and 'combination of' parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

, In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view'of a filing drawer and follower construction ofmy in;

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section'- al view ofthe drawerandfollowergshowing a half-rear elevational view of the follower and its locking apparatusand ahalf-se'ction P30 al view forwardly of the followerthrough one of the follower-supporting shoes Figure 3 is afragmentary longitudinal sectional View taken approximately along the line 3 3, Figure 2 and i Figure l' is an enlarged fragmentary perspective sectionalflview of the drawer-pie vided way andrack therein and thefollowersupporting-shoe with its bracket carried shaft, other parts, including the follower- 9; late, being omitted.

Referring now more in detail and by referen'ce characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, A designates a filing drawer, which, as

i is usual, is in the form of an oblong-rectangular open-top receptacle or box, and which includes a bottom wall 1 having the customary recessed index-retainer rod 2, and upstand- 0, ing from the bottom wall 1, are the usual front wall 3, rear wall 4, and side walls 5.

While not here specifically shown, the. drawer A, it will be understood, isadapted for disposition slidably in any suitable filing-cabinet; andis of-suchwdimensions as may be desired for the particular installation. i Thexside-wallsl 5 ;are each provided with a} top ulnarginally inturnedf longitudinal flange '6 having. a depending leg sp aced in-i wardly from thewall 5, and suitably; formed inthe-walls: 5, asbestseen in Figuresiflwand 6 4, are opposed inwardly presented longitudi nal ribsl8,each of which includes .ahorizontal shelf-like wall 9 parallel to and spaced vertically from the flange 6vfor'providinga shoe-receptive way, as at 9 ,ftherebetweeni Preferably the side walls 5 are eachcom posed of 'upper and lower sections ca -b, re-

spectively,;welded or otherwise suitably permanentlyconjoined,as at a, at the way-bottoIn-wall9' for convenience in providing or 1 forminginthe latter a series of spaced slots onapertures' 10, which with the intervening or interdentaltransverse portions of the wall 9,provide a-way-presentedrack B, as best seen in Figure 1. a

"'Iransverselydisposed in the drawer A, isa fol'lowerC, which includes a vertically disposed rectangulanplate 12 'rearwa'rdly transversely iofiiset intermediate its upper-and lower margins, as at 13, for plate-stiffeningpur posesr The plate 12 has preferably a greater height dimension than the drawer side-walls 5 andat its upper margin is also preferably formed with a rearwardly turned stiffening fiangel lp i i l At its sideand bottom margins', the plate 12 is' suitably spaced" from the bottom wall land side walls 5 ofthe drawer for freely shifting non-binding inovelnenttherein, and is supported in vertical positionfor longitudinal shiftable movement in the drawerA by means of suitably elongated shoes 15 disposed non tiltahly in the ways 9 and rigidly hired to the plate 12 as'by means of brackets 16 preferablyintegrally extending right angularlyfrom the rear ends of therespective shoes 15 and spot-welded or otherwise permanently secured flatwise to the rear face of plate 12 above the offset flange 13,as best seenin Figure 1. As so fixed to the plate 12,

at their respective inner ends with rearwardly presented ears 18, and mounted for oscil-' latory or rotatory movement in and through the ears 18, is a transverse shaft or bar 19 having an intermediately formed upstanding bail or handle 20, the shaft 19 at its respective opposite ends being supported on and by the bracket-lugs 17 and provided with lugoverhanging depending rack-engaging arms or levers 21 obliquely disposed on the shaft 19 relatively to the handle '20. 1

The arms 21 are adapted when swung, on actuation'of the shaft 19, to vertical position, for side-wise impingement with the shoe-connected cornerof the bracket 16 and endwise presentation into the particular subjacent apertures 10 for co-operative follower-locking engagement with the rib 8, the bail 20 being then in normal rearwardly swung position widely spaced from the follower-plate 12, as shown in full lines in Figure 3.

However, when the bail 20 is forwardly swung to approximately vertical position in engagement with the follower-plate-flange 14, the arms 21 are, in turn, rearwardly swung for lifting the arm-ends from theparticular apertures 10 for wholly disengaging the arms from the rack B and hence releasing the follower 0 for freely sliding movementin the drawer A, the bail 20 then, projecting most conveniently for bail-graspingpurposes substantially above the follower C, as shown in dot-dash lines in Figure 3.

In use and operation, the papers or the like to be filed are disposed between the drawer front wall 3 and the follower G, and the bail 20 is grasped for drawing the same forwardly against the follower plate 12, thus releasing the arms 21 fromthe rack B for shiftable manipulation of the follower C in the drawer, such manipulation being with facility, ease, and convenience accomplished especially for forward movement in the drawer by simply pulling on the bail 20 until the follower is in its desired file-supporting position. I

On release of the bail 20, the latter tends to return to normal follower-locking position, which may be manually expedited, if desired, although usually the expansion of the filed papers or the like will automatically rearwardly shift the follower C for engaging its carried arms 21 firmly in locked rela-- tion with the rack B. 1 65 Thus the follower C may be readily shiftably manipulated and secured in adjusted or shifted positions to accommodate the filed papers or the like, and it might be added that the bail 20 may also most conveniently be employed, in conjunction with the usual drawer-handle (not shown), for liftingly transporting or carrying the drawer from one place to another.

The drawer A and its follower C are simple in construction, inexpensive in manufacture, strong, sturdy, durable and reliable in operation, and accomplish the objects stated in a highly satisfactory and efiicient manner. 1

It will be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the-structure may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from'the nature and principle of my invention.

7 Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 'is,+

In combination, a filing-drawer having spaced upstanding parallel side walls each provided with a marginal inturned longitudinal. flange and an inwardly presented rib, said flanges and ribs forming parallel opposed wayseach including a longitudinal shell-like wall longitudinally provided with a series of spaced apertures, a follower disposed for shiftable movement longitudinally of the drawer intermediate said side walls, shoes non-tiltably disposed for movement in said ways, brackets extending. right-angularly from the respective rear ends of the shoes fixed fiatwise to and upon the rear face of the follower, ears presented rearwardly from the respective inner ends of the brackets, a shaft journalled for oscillatory movement in said ears, arm-extensions projecting rightangularly from, and at the opposite ends of, the shaft and normally downwardly presented in said ways rearwardly of the shoes for endwise engagement with respective apertures for retaining the follower in shifted position, and lugs presented rearwardly from the brackets intermediate the ears and side walls for supporting the shaft and its said extensions for rocking movement.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JACK ADLER.

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